Wireless remote control devices or consoles for controlling medical devices in a surgical operating room eliminate the physical constraint of a wired remote control device having an electrical cord. A cord limits the operating distance of the wired remote control device from a central controller or the medical device to be controlled. Eliminating cords provides improved accessibility in a work area, such as a surgical operating room. A wireless remote control console, however, may under certain circumstances actuate a medical device remotely from the typical working space in an operating room. This situation can arise when a wireless remote control console that controls a central control unit for medical devices is carried outside of the working space (e.g., a room) while remaining within range wirelessly so that it still communicates with the control unit. For example, a wireless footswitch console for use in an operating room may still be capable of activating a surgical device or other medical device therein, even when the footswitch console is outside of the operating room.
Accordingly, the present invention encompasses an arrangement that allows a remote control console to operate a central control unit only while located in the desired working space. This invention further prevents the wireless remote control console from unintended communication with a different central control unit located in a different operating space. Finally, the remote control console of a further embodiment of the invention must be oriented properly or grasped by a user to control a medical or surgical device.